[Closed] Who still hates the Olympics?

I'm pretty impressed that team GB are trying to win back all our gold reserves that Gordon Brown sold off!

It's been absolutely brilliant.
So many heroes and role models in so many disciplines.

Except the football.

*Holds up hand*. I stand by my original thread:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-not-watching-any-olympics

I have not watched any.

I wonder if chewkw is going to show up?

chewkw - Member
Sport and medals: They will fall very short of their targets because they are all being hyped up recently. Normally, they are only good at one or two events consistently.

if you're not watching it, you're really missing out.
it is a positive world event.
and they don't come by that often.

I was pretty sceptical about the whole thing, but having spent 2 days watching on the big screens at the Olympic Park I can say it really has been a great event.
Sure the ticketing has been a bit of a lottery, and the hype has been a bit OTT but the "coming together" of different generations, cultures and nationalities has been really fun to experience.
Get down to your local screen or brave the big bad city and join the party 😀

It's been good apart from balding and much of the commentary. As much as I appreciated people cheering team gb there's too much chat and commentary about them you'd think no one else is taking part.

I have not watched any of it.

I don't hate it though. Just have other things to do.

I was indifferent about it leading up to it as not a great spectator of sport, I've been loving it. Not sure if it's because we're doing well or because it's in our own capital but thoroughly enjoying it.

It's been good apart from balding and much of the commentary. As much as I appreciated people cheering team gb there's too much chat and commentary about them you'd think no one else is taking part.

You should try some of the the other countries.

Events mostly only go on main TV when the locals are on.

if i had a £1 for everytime an athlete or pundit said "unbelievable" i'd be ecstatic

watched a bit of the track cycling, but other than that i am indifferent.

I believe the money could have been better spent. We are where we are.

panem et circenses

tannoy announcement

/ flange to the Forum /

Back-up required. 🙂

Never normally watch athletics even though I'm a keen long distance runner, but tonight was ****ing AWESOME to the MAX

I'm pretty impressed that team GB are trying to win back all our gold reserves that Gordon Brown sold off!

/pedant
Except the gold medals are about 97% silver !

mrmo - Member

didn't you just win the 10000m ?

Seen about 10mins in total, just not interested

So... If we are such a great sporting nation, why does Mo have to train in the US?

I'll hold my hand up.

I hate spectator sports. I had no interest in the Olympics.

I've been dragged by my OH kicking and screaming into getting involved (TdF on every day as preamble, constant TV, going to see cycling road race / time trials, getting tickets to the hockey today).

And you know. It's been bloody brilliant.

I've screamed my head off at the cycling, even on big-screen TVs in parks where the riders can't hear me; got totally absorbed with niche sports (field hockey, handball, volleyball, fencing); installed the apps; walked bloody miles round the Olympic Village today; and then wanted to get home so that we can watch the athletics tonight.

Maybe I don't hate spectator sports. Maybe I just hate seeing the same thing day in, day out.

why does Mo have to train in the US?

because the US are better, durrr.

Crickey, even by your standards that's a weak argument. Next it will be why didn't Wiggo ride a Raleigh?!?!

Olympics have surpassed my expectations by a mile. Today alone was truly magnificent.

if i had a £1 for everytime an athlete or pundit said "unbelievable" i'd be ecstatic

Bert Rules. 🙂

Don't hate the Olympics.
Hate the fact London has them (sod the rest of the UK) and the money spent at the most inappropriate point in time

I'm only asking. I can watch sports with as much passion as anyone, but I can also be objective.

So, an answer to the question?

crikey - Member
So... If we are such a great sporting nation, why does Mo have to train in the US?
POSTED 1 MINUTE AGO # REPORT-POST

Warm weather and altitude. And you know what, none of this is about national willy waving. It's lovely seeing Brits do well but I only really want everyone to have a good time and maybe go home thinking a bit better of us.

And the cost? If I could prioritise what my taxes are spent on the olympics would be pretty near the top.

Because he wants to win?

(edit: sorry about the "your standards" bit - unnecessary)

I'm pleased that the athletes are doing well for themselves however I'm still annoyed that we got the games in the first place in a time when the world's finances were starting to show trends of heading southwards.
Adding to that the fact that LOCOG claimed it would only cost £2.4bn which was massively underestimated and is looking like coming in at £13bn. That's not including public transport upgrade costs in the region of £11bn.

£24bn when we havent got a pot to piss in is disgraceful.

Thats a "tiny" bit out on their costings, which has cost everybody in this country quite a bit in a time of redundancies and repossessions.

As I say, I'm pleased for our medal winners, be it held in London or Timbuktu but LOCOG and the goverment for bailing them out time and time again, need there arses kicked for allowing such a massive overspend when nobody can afford it.

At the moment, it stands at £82,000,000 per medal, thats without the athletes lottery funding and anything else I've forgotten, funded by you and me .

Value? I think not.

Great to have some positive British role models. Proof we can do things excellently, world class, when we set our minds to it...
We need more of that attitude in this country. Positive, competitive, dig in and get on with it when things are tough...

I'm only asking. I can watch sports with as much passion as anyone, but I can also be objective.

No, you're trolling. HTH.

Value? I think not.

What price do you put on national pride, or indeed, something to smile about?

It's been a fantastic spectacle and illustrates to the world what this country can achieve.

Value? I think not.

Um. Who ever said it was a money-making exercise?
It's about sport, competition, bringing people together, national pride, display of excellence.

No-one's ever positioned it as an investment... it never makes money for any host city... Regeneration and legacy are just brought into it to show it has some kind of long term benefit - they're not the aim

Personally it makes me want to go out and succeed at something. We need a bit of that right now

Love the Olympics.
Love the fact London has them.
Money well spent to bring back some national pride, respect and hope for the future.

Hmmm.

Funny how a bit of sporting success seems to blind people to everyday reality...

I love it, I've been glued to the telly, love the sport, love the competition, but yes, bread and circuses...

I'm pleased that the athletes are doing well for themselves however I'm still annoyed that we got the games in the first place in a time when the world's finances were starting to show trends of heading southwards

Really? Didn't we get them in 2005 (and start the bidding process much earlier) I thought everything in the garden was rosy back then.

*am crap at money stuff though

I don't hate the Olympics, I just couldn't care less. I could list my reasons but I'd only get shot down in flames for daring to say a bad word against our "Heroes"

It will be interesting though how many people will be tuning in for the next athletics meeting from Sheffield

So... If we are such a great sporting nation, why does Mo have to train in the US?

As above, climate and altitude training. The event has been dominated by African athletes who run in a warmer climate and live at higher altitude. Mo's team looked, listened and learned. Off to the states for training and the results speak for themselves.

.

what difference would it have made to most if Paris had won? We would still have role models, winners, medals, and all the other arguments made in favour of london winning.

Other than not having to cover the hugely overinflated costs, etc.

The whole event has put some Great back in Britain for me, sorry but i love my country and prefer a half full glass.

And most of that money you're moaning about has been invested in this country, creating work and improving infrastructure that creates further employment.
There'd have been a lot more redundancies a lot earlier without The Olympics.
We should be bidding on every sporting event we can at the moment, World Cups's, Commonwealths, European Championships. We're good at this.

Coe crap, money makes Canada games look fiscally provinend

I'm not trolling, I'm being honest. I see a society that doesn't value public participation in sport, that is happy to cut funding, that is happy not to invest in sport, that sees playing fields as prime real estate, that watches Premiership football and the national team disgrace itself in every competition. A society where no one cares at all about sport until it gets put on primetime TV.
I see a society where I stand out because I do a sport, where people think I'm special because I ride a bike or run or do anything.

A couple of weeks of the Olympics on telly changes nothing.

Don't hate the Olympics.
Hate the fact London has them (sod the rest of the UK) and the money spent at the most inappropriate point in time

That's what I love about the Olympics, it really gets up people's noses. I'll happily pay a bit more tax for that.
Been reading the reports and comments on Australian news sites too, they really are whinging at not getting gold medals and moaning about team GB. been PSML

loum you make a great point, we have Government roasted for not spending and when they do they are lambasted.

The whole event has put some Great back in Britain for me, sorry but i love my country and prefer a half full glass.

This.

@loum

approx. 40% of construction jobs went to foreign workers.

How many jobs will be left once the games are finished?
Where's the infrastructure that creates further employment?

I'm only asking. I can watch sports with as much passion as anyone, but I can also be objective.
So, an answer to the question?

Got to say, I am enjoying watching the Olympics, as I knew I would, but do kinda agree with those who think we could probably be funding better things than elite sports. It certainly brings the country together though, so maybe it is worth it in some ways.

However, if you want to award Mo's gold to the USA because he trains there, then I guess we get Ruta Meilutyte's gold from Lithuania since she trains in the UK?

And most of that money your moaning about has been invested in this country, creating work and improving infrastructure that creates further employment.

where?

I don't see new jobs in the midlands, wales, scotland? a few construction jobs, which could have been created by dealing with the infrastructure and housing crisis currently facing the country. We need new power stations, but aren't building them, we need new roads, new railways, new houses, etc etc. But i don't see them?

We need to get people to see sport as normal, to get kids involved, but i don't see that.

If nothing else at least the Olympic village will be turned into social housing,

Did I suggest that Mos gold should go to the US?

No? Ok, so give your head a wee shake...

I'm pointing out that we don't take sports seriously as a nation.

Eddie the Eagle

where?

I'm pointing out that we don't take sports seriously as a nation.

well I can't think of a better way to promote sports as a nation than to have prime time TV full of GB athletes winning medals

We need new power stations, but aren't building them, we need new roads, new railways, new houses, etc etc. But i don't see them?

Huge amount of regeneration in the SE, new houses, roads, eg St Pancrass / Kings Cross has been a massive building site for years. I pass 1000s of new houses / flats every time I take the train into London. The Olympic Park is a massive development esp the Olympic Village, 1000s of homes to be.

Yes because sport is impotent

[i]well I can't think of a better way to promote sports as a nation than to have prime time TV full of GB athletes winning medals[/i]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/7858243.stm

Thank heavens for the regeneration of the SE

Huge amount of regeneration in the SE, new houses, roads, eg St Pancrass / Kings Cross has been a massive building site for years. I pass 1000s of new houses / flats every time I take the train into London. The Olympic Park is a massive development esp the Olympic Village, 1000s of homes to be.

now for the rest of the country, you know the bit beyond the m25, where on maps it says there be dragons??

The country is already heavily biased towards the south east, and it really isn't in anyones interest to try and squeeze more and more into one region at the expense of the rest of the country.

And are you suggesting that the only reason any of the regeneration occurred was because of the Olympics?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/7858243.stm

To be fair, I don't have too much of a problem with cutting funding for elite sports. I'd say we take sport too seriously as a nation. We fund heavily at elite level, but don't have the coaches or facilities at grass-roots level.

In some ways British Cycling has been the worst at this, in that they've demonstrated that it's training that makes an athlete, you don't need a huge pool of talent, you just need to pick a few fairly talented people and throw a whole lot of money and technology (and hard work) at them. It has undoubtedly got all the MAMILs out there, but I don't know if it's really made that much of a difference to how many kids ride their bikes to school, or how many will get into cycling as a sport, especially those without the rich parents to buy them the bike, drive them to the track, pay their entry fees etc.

PS
Not in the SE
Work in manufacturing
please sir may I have some more?
of your 230,000,000

I see a society that doesn't value public participation in sport, that is happy to cut funding, that is happy not to invest in sport, that sees playing fields as prime real estate, that watches Premiership football and the national team disgrace itself in every competition. A society where no one cares at all about sport until it gets put on primetime TV.
I see a society where I stand out because I do a sport, where people think I'm special because I ride a bike or run or do anything.

A couple of weeks of the Olympics on telly changes nothing.

Crikey: 100% agree with everything you say up there. I'm bored of being called a freak because I like exercise, I like to push myself and compete.

But I don't agree with your conclusion.

Most of the efforts from the government so far appear to have failed to turn around the capacity of the majority to leave unhealthy lives (I would exempt the amazing progress made against smoking here though).

Maybe some sporting glory is what we need to get people into the habit of participating instead of watching sport. It provides some awesome role models and can be inspiring to see the results of people pushing themselves to achieve. You won't see an immediate turnaround but I do think there'll be some longer term cultural change from our successes. Some people will refuse, there'll always be idiots like that. But I don't think the effect will be zero

[b]Capital Expenditure[/b] about time some of it got spent where it's made instead of on northern welfare to keep the workshy in fags and Stella.

It's costing us £4638 a second for 29 days of sport, if you believe this http://ethicsgirls.com/olympics/

I'll pop back in a year or so to see who thinks it was worth it.

It's sport and it's great to watch, but suggesting it will change the country?

Have a word..

Capital Expenditure about time some of it got spent where it's made

China, India and the USA?

Lets spend some spare change on the city,yer know banks and stuff.Let's give em a bonus ,they deserve it

mrmo - Member
you know the bit beyond the m25, where on maps it says there be dragons??

well if they'd get their chips (and gravy) off their shoulders and look at the facts rather than their preconceptions then "they" might realise that London has the [url= http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/indicators/topics/income-poverty/poverty-before-and-after-housing-costs/ ]higfhest level of poverty[/url]than any region in the UK.

And let's face it, no other UK city could even come close to hosting a sporting event of global significance - national pie eating championships, livestock bothering or job dodging maybe but whose going to want to watch that 😆

The whole event has put some Great back in Britain for me, sorry but i love my country and prefer a half full glass.

This!!

Iv'e lived my entire life on the banks of the Thames- i'm a bit further down from the Olympics (Dartford) but this is the best year iv'e ever known and for once i don't feel ashamed to be British.
I rode down the river to Greenwich tonight and as i rode past the o2 i heard the crowd in the Olympic stadium going nuts- Jessica Ennis just won gold. And i was the other side of the river- that was awesome!

[img] [/img]

So... If we are such a great sporting nation, why does Mo have to train in the US?

Because that's where His Cuban coach (Alberto Salazar) and the Nike Oregon Project are based.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike_Oregon_Project#section_2

It's costing us £4638 a second for 29 days of sport, if you believe this http://ethicsgirls.com/olympics/

However, if you believe Cameron (which I don't), it will boost the economy by £13 billion, leaving us at least £4 billion up since the last government statement on costs was under £9 billion. Believing neither source, an end result somewhere between an £11 billion loss and a £4 billion profit could well mean we roughly break even.

What price do you put on national pride

No-one's ever positioned it as an investment...

it never makes money for any host city...

Regeneration and legacy are just brought into it to show it has some kind of long term benefit

The whole event has put some Great back in Britain for me

And most of that money you're moaning about has been invested in this country, creating work and improving infrastructure that creates further employment.

All that said, and ignoring the trolls, it is quite uplifting to watch, mainly because GB are doing so well. Just try not to think about the cost...

Thank heavens for london and its profit from the city that runs the nation and it's poverty which is the best as well.
You expect the other 50 millon of us to watch.
Scuse typing .pie fat on keyboard.

Considering we were chosen to host the games before the financial meltdown, we could hardly of said we now can't afford them because we are now "supposedly" broke.

And the cost? If I could prioritise what my taxes are spent on the olympics would be pretty near the top.

Well I'm glad you can't make those sort of decisions.

Most of the efforts from the government so far appear to have failed to turn around the capacity of the majority to leave unhealthy lives

Your right, having coca cola and Maccy D as main sponsors was a masterstroke.

Capital Expenditure about time some of it got spent where it's made instead of on northern welfare to keep the workshy in fags and Stella.

As a born and bred southerner, I find that being said embarrassing.

As for the legacy? Well I'm sure most of the infrastructure will find it's way into private hands as we are supposedly broke. In future, if we feel that we want to participate in future games, instead of trying to host something like this again, perhaps we should try and spend money at the grass roots level and produce more talent which is undoubtedly out there, so we can go to any games with a good pool of athletes.

It's very telling that over 50% of the current crop of athletes come from private education, 7% of the population were or are educated this way, so what more can we achieve if we finance and support sport in state education?

Basil - Member

....You expect the other 50 millon of us to watch.

No, we invite you to watch and hope it may inspire you to rise above the piecrust mentality 😆

No ITV only

Basil - Member
No ITV only

.....bless

No ITV only

I'm impressed, there's no way that any of my moral positions are strong enough not to crumble at the thought of having to watch ITV for 4 weeks.

Don't hate the Olympics.
Hate the fact London has them (sod the rest of the UK) and the money spent at the most inappropriate point in time

Yup, but it would have generated a whole lot more jobs and improved an awful lot more infrastructure if it had been spent directly on those, rather than on a giant vanity project.

You are probably right.
But it wouldn't have ever been spent there. It would have gone to bank bailouts, "deficit reduction", benefit payments due to greater unemployment, and tax cuts for the highest rate tax payers. It's not money that would have otherwise been spent on employment and infrastructure.
IMO, the Olympics forced our government to invest in our country.

Can't fault the success of out state funded athletes but it has cost a bit

Considering the poor are broke